PA PA - Ray Gricar, 59, Bellefonte, 15 April 2005 - #6

[mysterygirl]

Just watched the rerun of the Dateline program and a couple of things jumped out at me.

His desire to erase that laptop seemed far too aggressive for just wanting to erase it because he was retiring. He was looking up how to fry a hard drive and researching what water would do............that doesn't scream " I am turning this laptop back in and don't want any personal info on it"..........

Second thing was his obvious change in sleep habits His girlfriend said that in the yrs she knew him he had never napped so much (paraphrasing)

Why? Depression?

What in the hell was on that laptop?

 

[cloudbuster05]

Just watched the rerun of the Dateline program and a couple of things jumped out at me.

His desire to erase that laptop seemed far too aggressive for just wanting to erase it because he was retiring. He was looking up how to fry a hard drive and researching what water would do............that doesn't scream " I am turning this laptop back in and don't want any personal info on it"..........

Second thing was his obvious change in sleep habits His girlfriend said that in the yrs she knew him he had never napped so much (paraphrasing)

Why? Depression?

What in the hell was on that laptop?

You bring up some very valid points! I watched the show again today too. If he did searches is key IMO. I say that because two people one being him used the home computer. My SO asked me the same question which was how do you know Ray did the searches? I do believe Ray did buy the erasure software and used it. However Im undecided he actually did the searches. It would line up with Ray to just need to erase it. To destroy seems totally out of character for a law abiding DA.

His napping could also point to something that was draining him. There is a whole host of reasons for taking more naps though.
Work troubles
Depression
Relationship problems
Health reasons
Blackmail
Recent drug use
ect.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Just watched the rerun of the Dateline program and a couple of things jumped out at me.

His desire to erase that laptop seemed far too aggressive for just wanting to erase it because he was retiring. He was looking up how to fry a hard drive and researching what water would do............that doesn't scream " I am turning this laptop back in and don't want any personal info on it"..........

He'd done the searches within a a month prior to his disappearance. The police had said, specifically, he'd done them, so they might have the time.

I've heard that he was considering keeping it as well, basically buying it from the county.

One thing to consider, however, is that he was aware of the problems with identity theft. He might have decided to better safe than sorry, and decided to destroy the drive (I've done the same thing myself.).

I think it is very likely he tossed the drive.

Second thing was his obvious change in sleep habits His girlfriend said that in the yrs she knew him he had never napped so much (paraphrasing)

Why? Depression?

What in the hell was on that laptop?

He was acting uncharacteristically in the 2-4 weeks prior to his disappearance. He might have been staying up late and using the laptop for something.

Whatever was on the computer, RFG did not want it to see the light of day. He wasn't being secret about wanting to destroy what was on the drive, however.

 

[abstr]

This case scares me.....so much. I hope someday we will get answers

 

[cloudbuster05]

This case scares me.....so much. I hope someday we will get answers

Me too abstr! If I go by my empathic side, it feels frightening and more. One thing Im sure inside myself is that Ray finished this out to the end.

 

[cloudbuster05]

http://sites.google.com/site/raygricar/home

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Probably the most comprehensive blog on the case:

http://www.centredaily.com/694

Occasionally, something new comes out. It's operating a little bit ahead of the rest of the media.

 

[mysterygirl]

He'd done the searches within a a month prior to his disappearance. The police had said, specifically, he'd done them, so they might have the time.

I've heard that he was considering keeping it as well, basically buying it from the county.

One thing to consider, however, is that he was aware of the problems with identity theft. He might have decided to better safe than sorry, and decided to destroy the drive (I've done the same thing myself.).

I think it is very likely he tossed the drive.



He was acting uncharacteristically in the 2-4 weeks prior to his disappearance. He might have been staying up late and using the laptop for something.

Whatever was on the computer, RFG did not want it to see the light of day. He wasn't being secret about wanting to destroy what was on the drive, however.

I also think it is very likely he tossed the drive. Although he was described as "reserved" "aloof" "private" he let everyone know he wanted to erase that drive because of personal info on it.......

My gut feeling is that his desire to erase it was because of much more than personal info. SOMETHING was on there he never wanted to see the light of day as you put it and I agree.

Sure wish we knew what............it would open up some doors.

He also seemed to have many ends tied up before disappearing. What was on his mind? Was there guilt about something? Worry? Was he threatened........being blackmailed?

So many possibilities in this case and so few clues.

But I will say this...........if someone were to try and fake his own death and just disappear..........he does seem like the type of man who is clever enough to do so.

Until we have a body, it will always be a possibility.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I also think it is very likely he tossed the drive. Although he was described as "reserved" "aloof" "private" he let everyone know he wanted to erase that drive because of personal info on it.......

My gut feeling is that his desire to erase it was because of much more than personal info. SOMETHING was on there he never wanted to see the light of day as you put it and I agree.

I choose my phrasing there quite carefully.

RFG began asking about how to destroy that data probably 10-14 months before he disappeared. I know that he asked around the office, but he also ask an outsider that wasn't a close friend and wasn't the county IT person.

Sure wish we knew what............it would open up some doors.

It could be some things completely innocent.

1. His financial records.

2. Possibly photos of his daughter that he didn't want some stranger ogling.

3. Personnel reports on staff. He might made negative comments and didn't want his successor using them to fire someone. (One of the staff that was there at the time had problems under the next administration.)

He also seemed to have many ends tied up before disappearing. What was on his mind? Was there guilt about something? Worry? Was he threatened........being blackmailed?

I looked at blackmail, both with RFG as the victim or blackmailer here:

http://www.centredaily.com/2011/02/19/2531734/blackmail.html

Short answer, nothing points to either.

So many possibilities in this case and so few clues.

But I will say this...........if someone were to try and fake his own death and just disappear..........he does seem like the type of man who is clever enough to do so.

Until we have a body, it will always be a possibility.

He didn't fake his death, if he left. He just left. It would have been fairly easy to fake suicide, e.g. leave a note, or leave some evidence that would point to foul play, e.g. prick his finger and leave a few drops of blood. Neither happened.

I think now that it is very likely he met someone in Lewisburg. Figure out who and might lead to an explanation, or a body.

 

[mysterygirl]

Are you referring to the woman seen or someone else?

 

[mysterygirl]

Correct. Rather than "fake his death".........disappear would be more appropriate.

Of course his intentions to erase and or destroy that hard drive could have been completely innocent. IMO there is more to it than that.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Are you referring to the woman seen or someone else?

The most recently disclosed/discovered evidence points to RFG planning to be in Lewisburg at a set time. It looks like something was scheduled for Lewisburg.

Here is the blog entry: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/05/23/2728702/the-odds-52311.html

You can go back and look at the source information in the links.

 

[ThePhantom]

I know this is stating the obvious, but -- I've long speculated that the person RG met in Lewisburg is perhaps the same person with whom he may have been communicating online for who knows how long -- so he needed to get rid of the evidence of that communication. Of course, if we pursued this theory, we would need to know what kinds of chat places he may have frequented, and what kind of "handle" he might have used. Alas, this is close to impossible because, well -- we have no way of knowing where he went on the internet. We do know that many a relationship has blossomed in that realm, and someone here posed a good question -- could he have been tired because he was up in the night communicating with someone?

 

[mysterygirl]

The most recently disclosed/discovered evidence points to RFG planning to be in Lewisburg at a set time. It looks like something was scheduled for Lewisburg.

Here is the blog entry: http://www.centredaily.com/2011/05/23/2728702/the-odds-52311.html

You can go back and look at the source information in the links.

I see the newly revealed evidence post......but nothing written. Am I missing something there?

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I see the newly revealed evidence post......but nothing written. Am I missing something there?

You might have to register or use a different browser. I've heard some people have problems with it.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

I know this is stating the obvious, but -- I've long speculated that the person RG met in Lewisburg is perhaps the same person with whom he may have been communicating online for who knows how long -- so he needed to get rid of the evidence of that communication. Of course, if we pursued this theory, we would need to know what kinds of chat places he may have frequented, and what kind of "handle" he might have used. Alas, this is close to impossible because, well -- we have no way of knowing where he went on the internet. We do know that many a relationship has blossomed in that realm, and someone here posed a good question -- could he have been tired because he was up in the night communicating with someone?

The map was generated on his office computer. The terminal points were Bellefonte and Lewisburg.

If he e-mailed the link, there would be a record. He could have been talking to someone on the phone, at the office, and generated the map.

A poster on the blog, Gus Papay, gave some possible suggestions along those lines, as did Slamdunk.

 

[cloudbuster05]

JJ what blog did slamdunk and Gus post on? I looked and I can't find it. I didn't know that you knew Gus

 

[J. J. in Phila]

JJ what blog did slamdunk and Gus post on? I looked and I can't find it. I didn't know that you knew Gus

Mr. Papay commented on the "Blackmail" blog. Slamdunk did a guest blog in 2009 that is in the index of "What more can be done."

Both made similar suggestions about matching up usernames and/or passwords.

 

[cloudbuster05]

Thanks JJ! Can you provide a link? Im having a hard time finding it. Gus is interesting and Im glad he is interested in this case. Gus has a great professional history. He reminds me of Mindhunter.

 

[cloudbuster05]

JJ I found the link. http://www.centredaily.com/2009/06/17/2396925/guest-blog-by-slamdunk-what-else.html
Where did Gus comment because its reading 0 comments?